Indian-origin physician awarded by US

An Indian-American physician and author has been presented with the National Humanities Medal, America’s highest humanities award, by US President Barack Obama for his contribution in the field of medicine.

A professor of medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine, Abraham Varghese has authored several acclaimed books including ‘My Own Country’ and ‘Cutting for Stone’.

He was presented with the medal along with several other recipients at a ceremony held at the White House on Thursday. 

“The 2015 National Humanities Medal to Abraham Verghese for reminding us that the patient is the center of the medical enterprise,” the citation of the medal read.

“His range of proficiency embodies the diversity of the humanities, from his efforts to emphasise empathy in medicine, to his imaginative renderings of the human drama,” a military aide to the US President said, reading from the citation.